Lori Dickerson Fouch

As a high school student, Lori Dickerson Fouch? set her sights on a career in international business, but an INROADS internship that addressed embezzlement, white-collar crime, kidnapping and ransom opened her eyes to possibilities in insurance. ?I began to understand insurance?s role in a bigger business context,? Fouch? says of her training in Chubb & Son?s executive protection division. ?I got excited because I have an affinity for business, economic and legal issues, and I could see how what I was doing fit into all of that.?

Fouch? has spent more than 20 years in insurance, rising in the ranks at both Chubb & Son and Fireman?s Fund Insurance Co., before joining Prudential Group Insurance as president and chief operating officer in 2013. She was named CEO in February. She is particularly proud of her role as president and CEO of Fireman?s Fund. ?A woman of color achieving that kind of position is notable in an industry that doesn?t have much diversity at the top,? she says. That accomplishment was no surprise to her, given the influence of Fouch??s parents, who instilled expectations of excellence in their daughter. ?Being mediocre was not an acceptable path,? says the two-time NCAA Division 1 Regional All-American softball player.

Fouch? earned a bachelor?s degree in history from Princeton University and a master?s of business administration from Harvard University. She says the leadership and teambuilding skills she gained as captain of Princeton?s varsity softball team contributed significantly to her professional success. Her parents also instilled in her the importance of community service. She currently serves as a board member of Girls Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing six- to18-year-old girls. When it comes to future personal and professional undertakings, Fouch? says she wants to be in roles that have ?high impact?high impact in my company, high impact to the community and high impact to society.?